November 2025 Grocery Challenge

Pennypincin

I've unfortunately gone £15 over this week and lost track of what I bought.

K9sandFelines

£6.18 given to DD1 for getting me ReadyBrek, soya milk, and deodorant 

PipneyJane

Good morning All

I’ve multiple shops to declare:

• £5.49 in L!dl on the 14th, spent on Gold instant coffee £2.65, 8-pack Maasdam Cheese slices £1.99,  and 1.25kg loose carrots 85p.  I also collected our free garlic granules (85p), since we crossed another bonus threshold, the £150 one.  (DH bought wine for Christmas, from a different budget.)
• £3.81 by DH in Sainbugs on the 17th, all spent on fresh fruit and veg (8 bananas £1, 354g broccoli 81p, sweet peppers £2), followed by…
• £8.82 in the L!dl opposite that Sainsbugs, where DH bought XXL cashew nuts 2x£3.99, lemon juice 2x47p.
• £17.97 spent yesterday in Sainsbugs on peppers £1.50, bananas 78p, mushrooms £1.90, 260g spinach £1.3, sliced ham £2.1, hummus £1.25, 450g Greek yoghurt with honey £1.75, wraps 99p, Rosemary Focaccia £2.50, cookies £1.05, 1.2kg sweet potatoes £1.49, 1kg potatoes 90p

This brings our total spend to £192.90/£193.60, leaving 70p for the rest of the month!

It’s going to be tight but the only things we may need before payday on Friday are carrots - which I can do without - and milk.

More concerted plotting is how we’re going to spend the £25.60 we need to cross the £250 threshold for L!dl’s 10% off coupon, without doing the “big shop” for the month, because those vouchers only last a week and we want to take advantage of the saving as much as possible.  More booze, I suspect.  (This is funny because we’re not big drinkers, having maybe a glass of wine a week.  My in-laws are, though, and we’re spending Christmas with them… )

TravelCrystal said:

I have been keeping out of the shops this week and just spent £1.80 on sausages at our local Mr T. They are quite good value and will do a couple of lunches.

However, we suddenly find ourselves visiting DS2 on Friday for his 40th. He lives 4 hours away and I have to be back early pm for a Choir event on the Saturday. D in law asked if we could come as she hadn’t organised anything. DS1 is due to visit also from the other end of the country. Will be nice for a catch up. We are going to a steakhouse I believe. All a surprise for DS2 Luckily that will come out of another budget. 

However we will stop for a snack at what I call the ‘Waitrose of services’ on the M5 and that will come out of GC budget. 

More on that next week.

Total so far £86.39/£200

Have a good rest of the week all

T.C

I hope it was a lovely surprise for your DS1, @TravelCrystal.          

moginstein said:

Jings, I'm guessing that it might be the Gloucester Services? Tebay is on the M6, but the description for Gloucester says it is owned by the same group.
Not been to either, but I have heard good things about both, and it’s nice to have a break from travel somewhere a bit nicer than your average services.

I’ve not been to Gloucester Services, but Tebay definitely gets my vote as a place to stop.  Food = excellent.  Coffee = excellent.  And the butcher there has cuts of meat you can only dream of obtaining elsewhere.  (Boned leg of mutton anyone?  Not cheap at £41, but it gave us two scrumptious roasts plus leftovers.) 

- Pip

TravelCrystal

Morning everyone 
A late start for us after the busy weekend.
Stopped at the ‘Waitrose of services’ as previously mentioned but only had a tea and coffee so only £7.50 spent out of G.C budget.
DS2 was very surprised to see us which was nice. Bought D in law some flowers at the services ( out of another budget) would have been from our garden earlier in the year. Could have bought a shrub for the price 🤭

DS1 further surprised DS2 at the meal.
There were 12 of us.
On the way home yesterday stopped at the not so marvellous services just near Bristol for. KFC which was very tasty £20.86
Back home with 30 minutes to spare to change in to my choir attire and attend a Christmas light switch on, singing in the rain
I have dried out now🤣
Lidl’s shop tomorrow.
For now I am at £114.75/£200

Have a great day all

T.C

TravelCrystal

So last shopping of the month for me at Lidl.
Free shampoo for a start. 

Then discounted apples and sunflower oil.
Fruit and veg, parsley, milk, muesli, biscuits, pate, baked beans. Tom puree, eggs, cream and macaroni. 

And a couple of muffins, having half each today of one, the other is in the freezer. I know how to live 🤣

Total spent £23.81

Declaring @JingsMyBucket for November £139.56/£200
Bulk added in to my annual.

Good luck everyone else for the month.

T.C

thriftwizard

Oh dear! Just realised, thanks to @PipneyJane, that payday is actually this Friday & that's where December's budget starts! So I'm not quite as helpless as I was feeling; I should manage to stay under £40 with just 3 of us & 5 catered-for days to go! I have also invested in a yogurt-maker which will take a while to pay for itself but should, in the long term, reduce the weekly spend a little further.

That said, I cracked on Saturday, decided to stop the medication & live with the consequences (just a skin rash) & bought some apples, oranges & "easy peelers" for OH.  Lost the receipt but I'm fairly sure it was £5.98 as two of the packs were YS - @ W8rose YS prices! - which I shall now trot off & add. Then off to update the sliced bread supply (sigh) and buy him a couple of bananas...

TheBees

Checking in today with a total of £303.11/£350 and 6 days to go!  I've made a food plan to the end of the month and in theory, all we need to buy before the end of the month will be milk, eggs and fruit.

When I made a shepherds pie and the beef stew last week I made double quantities so it's nice to have "free" meals this week and they're quick and easy.
This month has been really costly with some car expenses, Christmas and birthday shopping so am glad to have not gone over budget on the groceries. 
Meals are
Leftover stew and dumplings 
Lemon Chicken Orzo 
Jacket potato with tuna, beans and cheese 
Fish in batter, chips and peas
Posh macaroni cheese
Shepherds Pie, veg and gravy

Not long to the end of the month!

leftatthetrafficlights

I'm up to £113.56 now - that includes household stuff, cupboard stuff and fresh fruit & veg 😁

K9sandFelines

£6.47 at W@itrose today. 

Avocado, YS sourdough, bananas and dairy free spread.

I've also got a spend at Aldi. I will.come back and edit when I've checked the bank. This was for a few groceries and birthday bits for DGD

£22.49

JingsMyBucket

Morning folks. I’ve been really sick and in bed for the last three days and am only starting to have a bit of energy now. I’ll put up the December thread either later this evening or early tomorrow morning. Have a good rest of your day and stay warm!